Can punch



sept. is, 1934.

G. D. MGNEILL CAN PUNCHQ Original Filed May 2. 1953 Y 2 7 "Mi /M//TIN 24 7 INVENTOR 4a 3 GeallMCNeL'ZL mi? y um ATTORNEY Patented sept. 1s, 1934 1 i i 1,973,992

UNi'rejosrAres 4PATeNr orrior.

CAN PUNCHA Y j George D. `ivre-Neill, Selma, Calif.

Continuation of application Serial No.m668,961, May Z, 1933. 4This application -November 28, 1933, Serial No. 700,061

7 Claims. `(Cl. 164-419)` This invention relates to a device for punching While the opposite end of the upper strip 2 carries holes in cansisuoh as those in which condensed a similar jaw 5 to engage the Opposite Side 0f the milk, fruit juice and the like are marketed, and can. The last named jaw depends 'through a in which the liquid is kept after the can is opened longitudinal slot 6 out in the adjacent DOitiOn 5 and poured therefrom through the punched holes of the under strip 1.

as needed. The present application is also a con- The strip 2 is slidably guidedon the strip 1 by tinuation of my cci-pending application for patent, longitudinally spaced guide lugs 'l having appro- Serial No. 668,961, led Mai7 2, 193.3. priate side recesses and mounted on said strip 1 The principal object of my invention is to tothe sides of the strip 2. The strips are nor- 10 provide a device for this purpose by means of mally heldin contracted relationship bya tension which a pair of opposed holes may be easily and spring' 8 extending Vbetween one of said lugs and neatly punched in the can with -one operation another lug 9 mounted on the strip 2; in which andwhich is adjustable to different sized cans, position ofthe strips the jaws are Closer together so that the holes will always be near the rim, than the diameter ofthe smallest can. The strips by the mere act of placing the device on the however can separate so that the jaws will be 70 can and without the need of any adjustment spread apartadistance greater than the diameter screws or other parts requiring manual manipuof the largest can, -so that one device may be used lation to make such adjustment,j with all sizes of cans in which milk or` juice is Anotherfobject of the invention: is `to provide a marketedj device for the purpose so eonstructedthat the Projecting upwardly from and rigidly mounted 75 act of placing the same on the can and punching 0n the strip 1 is a post 10, while spaced lengththe holes may be carried out withone hand and wise therefrom is another post 10a secured in the wtha practically continuous operation. l strip 2. A depressor plate 11 disposed parallel to A still further object is to provide a can punch v the Strips 1 and 2 iS slidable 0H the 'lOStSy Said so constructed that the punchingv elements are depressor Yplate vhaving a longitudinal slot S in 80 normally concealed and protected' so that they which the Ipostli) rides. Pointed punch stems 12 cannot damage the hands or other exterior ob and 13 disposed parallelr to and on OillJOSite SideS jects or themselves become damaged or bent from of thepo'sts are slidable in sleeves 14 and' 15 reexposure and contact'with relatively unyielding speotively. The-sleeve 14 projects through 'a 1onobjects, gitudinal slotlG in the strip 2 (and through which 85 These objects I accomplish by means of such the post 10 also projects) and is rigidly secured structure and relative `arrangement ofpartsras to the lower strip 1, while the sleeve 15 is sewill fully appear by a perusal of the following cured to the'unper strip 2. The punches' are thus specicationj and claims. L lmountedin connection with the relatively mov- .1n the drawing similarcharaoters of reference able strips and are so positioned with respect to 90 indicate corresponding parts in the several views: the corresponding jaws as to engage the can adja- Figure 1 is a side View of the device in its kcent its rimlwhen the jaws are engaged with the normal contractedpositionshown as being placed Outside Ofi the Same, eS SilOWrl in 'Figure 2. on a @am i The stems 12 and 13 have enlarged heads 17v l 40 Y Figure 2 Vis a sectional elevation of the device, and18 respeCtiVeiy 011 their upper endsand bear 95 'shown in position on the can and with the Ypunches ing against the Plate 11- Compression Springs 19 .depressed K Y j, i and 20` extend between the heads 17 and 18 and Figures isa fragmentary cross section on the the strips 1 and 2 respectively and are disposed line,3`-3 of Figure V1. 'f "f 'about the` corresponding sleeves.' These springs Referring -novvfmore particula'rlyfto the char-v act to force` thestems and plate 11 upwardly 100 acters of' reference onA the drawing, i ther base .so thatfthe sharppunching points of the stems structure of the fdevicecornpris'es a strip 1 on Will bei normally diSlOSed eOOVe the loottolnsurn which'is Vslidablysuperin'1posed-another and soniete 0f the '10W61 Strip 12S ShOWD in Figure 3 what Lnarrowerf'strip 2,` o'riefendfofV the strip 1 and hence will be protected from damage and 0 normally' extendingbeyond the adjacent end' of prevented from ceu-sins any damage 105 the'up'pr strip and the otherend of said-upper Y The plate 11"bei1g'i0lgit1ldii1a11y immovable Astrip extending beyond the corresponding 4end relative to the stripl 2 on ywhich the stem' 18 is of' thelower strip, as shown in Figure 1.- Said mounted, the head 18 of 'saidstem always bears corresponding end of the strip 1 carries a dependagainst said plate at the same point. The stern ing jaw 3 to engage the adjacentside of aicanV 4, 12'being mounted on the strip l which is slidable through the top of the can, I preferably prov-ide the following means:

Formed on the upper ends of the posts 10 and 1Go and extending lengthwise of the plate 11 iny opposite directions from each other are hooklike heads 2l.

plate ll at a normally diverging angle to each other. formed with flat angularly set cam members 23 disposed under the heads 21, the latter'having depending tips 24 at their outer ends normally engaging the plate l1. The handles are provided with slots 26 adjacent their lower. end Ythrough which the posts project. The lower edges of the cams joins theinner edges of thehandleswith a curve of relatively shortradius as'indicatedl at 27, said curved edge riding onthe plate l1; The tips 24 prevent the handles from being unintentionally pulled out from place at anyr time.

As a resultof this arrangement the punch stem springs normally act to turn the cams so that their iiat end portions are in contact with. the plate 1l and in close relationship to the heads 21. This limits'the upward movement of theplate 11 and causes the handles to be disposedat an angle `of considerable divergence to each other, as shown in Figure 1. When thehandles are drawn together the ends of the cams are tilted upwardly so as to engage the corresponding heads andthe curved surfaces 27 of saidicams'come in contact with the plate 11 depressing` the same, as shown in Figure 2.

To use the device the can is held in one hand.

and the device in the other, preferably with the jaw 3 facing the hand and with the adjacent end of the strip 2 engaged with the palm of the hand near the ball of the thumb, while the ngers and thumb extend along and above the strip 11 to engage the handles near the base. Very little practice will'enable the operator to thus grasp the device in a comfortable manner and one which makes it very easy to operate the implement. The device is then initially placed on the can so that the jaw 3 engages the same on one side, as shown in Figure 1. A relatively slight hand presj sure against the strip 2 is sufficient to slide the same along the strip lso` that theA jaw 5` will be moved across the can whateverv distance is necessary-to cause said jaw to extend to andengage the opposite` side of the can, and which distance of course depends on the size of the ycan being used.

The pressure on the strip 2 is then released and the device becomes automatically clamped tothe can by the jaws and by the pressure'of the spring 8 tending to pull. saidv jaws together. A very slight upward shifting of the hand then enabies the fingers to have the-.proper gripf on the handles andthe closing of thehand'causes said handles to be'drawn together, as shown in Figure 2, thus depressing the punches through the can in the mannerpreviously explained. The leverage obtained by the handles and cam construction makes the punching operation extremely easy' so Separate handlesy 22f spaced? lengthwise of the device are disposed above they The handles at their lower` endsg areA that the hardest tin may be penetrated with a very weak force applied to the handles. Upon the pressure on the handles being released the springs 19 and 20 immediately act to raise the punches and the device may be withdrawn from the can by a slight advancing pressure on the strip 2 accompanied by an upward tiltingv of the opposite end of the device.

It will be obvious that the downward pressure ofthe punches against the top of the can tends to cause the base strips 1 to 2 to move upwardly.

Such movement can only take place to a very limited extent, or until the ends of the jaws engage the under edge of the rim 4a of the can, as shown in Figure 2, since the spring 8 is exerting a constantipull on the jaws, there is no tendency forthemtoclimb from such rim engaging position; and the dev-ice is thus effectively held on the can. while the punching operation is performed. The posts, being mounted in xed connection with respect to the relatively movable strips and punches, move apart as the punches are spread so that thepoint ofpressure application of the cams relativeto the punches always remains thesame.

From the-foregoing description itV will be readily seen thatI'- have produced-such adevice as substantially fulfills theobjects of the invention as set forthherein.

Whilethis specificationsetsfforth in detailthe present and preferred construction of the device, still in practice suchdeviations from such-,detail may be resorted to as do-not form a departure fromfthe spirit of the invention, as defined by the appended claims.

Having thusdescribed my inventionv what I claim as new and useful and desire to secure by Letters Patent is: l

. 1. A can punch comprising super-imposed strips, means connecting said stripstogether for relativelongitudinalslidingmovement, a jaw to engage the side of a'y can: depending from one end of one'strip and a similar jaw depending from the opposite end of the'other strip, punches mountedy on the strips adjacent their respective jaws for. vertical movement relative thereto,

meansvtonormally hold the punchesclear of the lower strip,l a plate fixed in connection with one strip. and engagingthe upper ends .of the punches, and means to depress the plate at will.

2. A can punch` comprising` superimposed strips,.means connecting said strips together for relative longitudinal slidingY movement, elements to engage a can on its opposite sides depending from the opposed ends of. the strips, sleeves fixed on andupstanding from-thestrips separately and inwardly-ofthe respective elements, punch stems slidable in the sleeves, springs acting on the stems to normally hold their lower ends clear of thelower strip, and means to depressboth stems. simultaneously against the resistance of the springs.

3. A device as in claim2.` in which said second means comprises a plate xed in. connection with oneV strip andfengagingV thelupper ends of. the nstems, and. means to depress the plate..

v`4f.V Alcan punch comprising abase structure .having `opposed jaws depending therefromA to engage a can on its opposite sides, posts xed on and upstanding from saidstructure, a plate slidable onI said posts, vertical punch stems slidably mountedonithe structure and engaging the under lside of the plate, springs yieldably holding the stemsagainst the plate, and meansV to depress the plateagainst 'the' stems;

5. A device as in claim 4, in which said means comprises normally diverging handles above the plate, plate engaging cams depending from the handles, and cam engaging means on the posts above the plate and arranged, with said cams, to cause a drawing together of the handles to turn the cams so as to depress the plate.

6. A can punch comprising superimposed strips, means connecting said strips together for relative longitudinal sliding movement, a jaw to engage the side of a can depending from one end of the lower strip and a similar jaw depending from the opposite endl of the upper strip, the lower strip having a longitudinal slot through which the last named jaw projects, a sleeve Xed on and upstanding from the lower strip adjacent its jaw, the upper strip having a longitudinal slot through which the sleeve projects, another sleeve fixed on and upstanding from the upper strip adjacent its jaw, punch stems slidable in the sleeves, and projecting from the upper end thereof, a plate above the stems parallel to the strips, means mounting said plate in connection with the upper strip for vertical movement relative thereto, springs acting to hold the upper ends of the stems against the plate, plate depressing handles above the plate, and means mounting said handles in connection with the plate mounting means to limit the movement of the handles in a plate releasing direction.

7. A can punch comprising superimposed strips, means connecting said strips together for relative longitudinal sliding movement, a jaw to engage the side of a can depending from one end of the lower strip and a similar jaw depending from the opposite end of the upper strip, the lower strip having a longitudinal slot through which the last named jaw projects, spaced punches projecting upwardly from the strips, means mounting one punch for axial movement on one strip and means mounting the other punch on the other strip for similar movement, posts projecting upwardly adjacent the posts and secured to the corresponding'strips, the upper strip having a longitudinal slot through which the post from the lower strip and the adjacent post mounting means project, handles mounted in connection with the upper ends of the posts, and means between the handles, posts and punches to depress the latter with a movement of said handles in a predetermined direction. k

GEORGE D. MCNEILL. 

